Ripple CEO Defends XRP Amid Stablecoin Growth

With stablecoin numbers on the rise and concerns in the crypto community to match, Ripple’s chief executive has put his defense of XRP on record. Brad Garlinghouse was at pains to point out that USDC is no threat to XRP; it is a competitor to other stablecoins.

Garlinghouse Addresses Community Concerns

Garlinghouse used X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) on November 3, 2026, to counter the notion that USDC might erode XRP’s standing. In doing so, he sought to allay any doubts among XRP holders and outline Ripple’s long-term plans for its premier asset. “USDC’s growth does not pose a direct threat to XRP,” said Garlinghouse. “It is competing with the rest of the stablecoin market.”

He has been insistent that XRP is Ripple’s ‘North Star,’ and this latest pronouncement is another way of underlining that commitment and the strategic priority given to XRP in an increasingly competitive stablecoin sector.

Mixed Market Reaction and Price Dynamics

The post has had some effect on XRP’s price, if only a marginal one; by the measure of Bitcoin’s recent run-up, the move has been unremarkable, a sign of a measured market reaction to what USDC means for XRP.

Raph of Karaman, a researcher in the XRP community, believes the impact on XRP’s price from USDC is for now indirect, even if the latter’s growth may be beneficial down the line. The figures bear him out: over the last year USDC has more than doubled in total value to $2.6 billion from $1 billion, while XRP has seen its price fall some 43 percent.

USDC’s Presence on the XRP Ledger

Yet for all USDC has achieved, the XRP Ledger is home to just $870 million or so of it, under a third of the total. Some two-thirds is found on Ethereum, which limits how much of a direct impact USDC can have on the XRP ecosystem. As for the utility of XRP itself in paying transaction fees or making account deposits on the ledger, the economic consequences are negligible. Daily fee burns are in the region of $2,350 worth of XRP, hardly indicative of any immediate effect from the integration of stablecoins.

Looking Ahead: Scenarios for XRP’s Future

The Cheeky Crypto channel has laid out three ways to interpret the XRP story as USDC and similar coins make headway. One is that USDC will grow on other networks and XRP will remain unaffected. Another is that it will establish itself on the XRP Ledger for better liquidity and use. Then there is the most optimistic view of all: that Ripple will put XRP to work on a large scale for payments, adding to the coin’s value.

For those who follow the channel, the advice is to watch how USDC is faring on the XRP Ledger, see how XRP is pricing against its recent highs, and look for any fresh data from Ripple on usage in payment systems. These are the things that will show if the CEO’s defense of XRP has any staying power in the changing stablecoin landscape.